One other act of his in this session cannot be ignored. It is a
sinister note in the hopeful chorus of the Tenth Assembly. For months
there had come from the Southern States violent protests against the
growth of abolition agitation in the North. Garrison's paper, the
"infernal Liberator," as it was called in the pro-slavery part of
the country, had been gradually extending its circulation and its
influence; and it already had imitators even on the banks of the
Mississippi. The American Anti-slavery Society was now over three
years old. A deep, unconquerable conviction of the iniquity of slavery
was spreading through the North. The South felt it and protested, and
the statesmen of the North joined them in their protest. Slavery
could not be crushed, said the conservatives. It was sanctioned by the
Constitution. The South must be supported in its claims, and agitation
stopped. But the agitation went on, and riots, violence, and hatred
pursued the agitators. In Illinois, in this very year, 1837, we have
a printing-office raided and an anti-slavery editor, Elijah Lovejoy,
killed by the citizens of Alton, who were determined that it should
not be said among them that slavery was an iniquity.
To silence the storm, mass-meetings of citizens, the United States
Congress, the State legislatures, took up the question and voted,
again and again, resolutions assuring the South that the Abolitionists
were not supported; that the country recognized their right to their
"peculiar institution," and that in no case should they be interfered
with. At Springfield, this same year (1837) the citizens convened and
passed a resolution declaring that "the efforts of Abolitionists
in this community are neither necessary nor useful." When the
riot occurred in Alton, the Springfield papers uttered no word of
condemnation, giving the affair only a laconic mention.
The Illinois Assembly joined in the general disapproval, and on March
3d passed the following resolutions:
"Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Illinois:
"That we highly disapprove of the formation of Abolition
societies, and of the doctrines promulgated by them.
"That the right of property in slaves is sacred to the
slave-holding States by the Federal Constitution, and that
they cannot be deprived of that right without their consent.
"That the General Government cannot abolish slavery in the
District of Columbia against the consent of the citizens of
said District, without a manifest breach of good faith.
"That the Governor be requested to transmit to the States of
Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, New York, and Connecticut a
copy of the foregoing report and resolutions."
Lincoln refused to vote for these resolutions. In his judgment no
expression on the slavery question should go unaccompanied by the
statement that it was an evil, and he had the boldness to protest
immediately against the action of the House. He found only one man in
the Assembly willing to join him in his action. These two names are
joined to the document they presented:
"Resolutions upon the subject of domestic slavery having
passed both branches of the General Assembly at its present
session, the undersigned hereby protest against the passage of
the same.
"They believe that the institution of slavery is founded on
both injustice and bad policy, but that the promulgation of
abolition doctrines tends rather to increase than abate its
evils.
"They believe that the Congress of the United States has no
power under the Constitution to interfere with the institution
of slavery in the different States.
"They believe that the Congress of the United States has power
under the Constitution to abolish slavery in the District of
Columbia, but that the power ought not to be exercised unless
at the request of the people of the District.
"The difference between these opinions and those contained
in the above resolutions, is their reason for entering this
protest.
"DAN STONE,
"A. LINCOLN,
"Representatives from the County of Sangamon."
[Illustration: WILLIAM BUTLER.
From a photograph owned by his grandson, Hon. William J. Butler,
Springfield, Illinois. William Butler was a native of Kentucky, being
born in Adair County, that State, December 15, 1797. In the war of
1812, he carried important despatches from the Governor of Kentucky
to General Harrison in the field, travelling on horseback. He went to
Sangamon County, Illinois, in 1828. In 1836 he was appointed clerk of
the Circuit Court by Judge Logan, whom he had known in Kentucky. In
1859 he was appointed by Governor Bissell State treasurer of Illinois,
to fill a vacancy, and in 1860 was elected to that office. He
was married to Elizabeth Rickard, December 18, 1863. He died in
Springfield, January 11, 1876. Soon after becoming a resident of
Springfield, Lincoln went to William Butler's house to board. There
he was like a member of the family. He lived with Mr. Butler until
his marriage in 1842. The two men were ever the warmest personal and
political friends.]